“It doesn’t matter now,” I said finally, forcing my voice to remain steady. “You’re stuck with me. I’m coming with you.”
“How did you even get onto my ship?”
“Easy. I slipped onboard when a Wing cadet was doing the final checks of the ship.”
He stared at me for a long moment, and I could see him weighing his options against his irritation.
“Fine,” he said grimly, turning back to the navigation console. “But we do this my way, sweetheart.”
I wanted to argue, to establish that this was my mission and my revenge, but I bit my tongue. Getting to Earth was more important than winning this battle. There would be time to assert control once we were closer to our target.
Deklyn’s fingers moved across the smooth surface of the console, inputting coordinates for another jump. The stars outside the view port began to shift and blur as the ship’s engines built up the energy necessary for the hyperspace transition.
The jump itself was nauseating. I still hadn’t gotten used to the strange sensation of being stretched across impossible distances before snapping back into normal space. I’d never particularly enjoyed hyperspace travel, but after months of captivity, the disorientation was even worse than I remembered.
When my stomach settled, I blinked in confusion at what I saw ahead of us. Instead of the empty space I’d expected between jump points, there was a massive structure floating against the backdrop of distant stars.
“What the hell is this?” I asked, staring at the enormous space station spaced like a vertical double helix. All clear walls and white beams, it looked more like a work of art than a functional space habitat.
Deklyn touched the communications panel and spoke into the pickup. “Island Control, this is Inferno Force Lieutenant Deklyn requesting permission to dock.”
“Copy that, Lieutenant,” came a measured voice. “Hangar bay is clear for your approach. Welcome to the Island.”
Even though I’d heard about the deep space station designed to house tribute brides and host their weddings to Drexians, I’d never been there. I turned to stare at him in disbelief. “We’re making a pit stop at the Island?”
“Fuel and supplies,” he said tersely, beginning the approach sequence. “And there’s someone I need to talk to.”
I wanted to demand more details, to know exactly what this delay would cost us and whether it was really necessary. But as I watched him pilot the ship toward the docking bay, I realized I had no choice.
I just hoped that whatever business Deklyn had here would be quick. Every moment we spent not heading to Earth was another moment for the trail to grow cold, another chance for whoever had betrayed me to cover their tracks or disappear entirely.
But as we settled onto the landing pad and the ship’s engines wound down to silence, I wondered if this was merely a delay tactic. Well, if the Drexian thought he could ditch me or stop me, he was sorely mistaken.
Chapter
Sixteen
Deklyn
Istood at the top of the ship’s ramp as it lowered. Beside me, Sasha shifted her weight and huffed out breath as if she was fighting to keep her temper in check.
“What exactly is your plan here?” she asked, her voice deceptively calm. “Detouring to a station devoted to matching human brides with Drexians?”
“I can’t let you fly off to Earth in the furious state you’re in,” I said simply. “You need time to cool down and think strategically instead of emotionally.”
She turned to glare at me, her dark eyes flashing danger. “You haven’t seen furious yet.”
Before I could respond, movement at the bottom of the ramp caught my attention. Two figures were hurrying toward us across the floor of the hangar bay. One was short with spiky purple hair that clashed with his bright green suit, and theother tall and willowy with enormous eyes and an elaborate blue vertical swirl of hair that made her appear nearly seven feet tall.
As we walked down the ramp, the purple-haired alien reached us first, practically vibrating with excitement. Then both aliens stopped short, their expressions shifting from anticipation to confusion as they took in our appearance.
“You aren’t tribute brides,” the purple-haired alien said, his voice carrying a note of deflation that suggested this was a significant disappointment.
“No,” I said, offering what I hoped was a diplomatic smile. “I’m Deklyn of Inferno Force, and this is Sasha Bowman. We’ve just arrived from the Drexian Academy.”
The taller alien stepped forward and extended thin fingers. “I’m Reina, and this disappointed Gatazoid is Serge. Welcome to the Island.”
Then her gaze sharpened as she looked at Sasha more closely. “Bowman?” She blinked rapidly a few times. “Are you Ariana’s sister?”
